Page 292 - A Hand book of Arabia Vol 1 (iii) Ch 6 -10

ISLANDS 323
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pearl-fisheries, and owning more than 20 boats, Date-groves with
about. 1,700 trees, among which are several large wells (water at
15 ft.) serving to irrigate the groves, and fields of lucerne. Hdlat
Abu Mahur, on a small island some hundred yards S. of Muharraq
1. town ; and connected with the larger island at low tide ; 500 houses
and huts inhabited by Sunnis, chiefly A1 BinMaqla, with a number
of negroes, enslaved and free. A number of boats are constantly
! engaged in taking to Muharraq water from the submarine well
GOO yards E. of the fort of Abu Mahur at the S. end of the island,
now used by the Sheikh as a stable. Qaldli, on the NE. coast ;
• !
450 mud and reed huts with two good masonry houses. The
- inhabitants are Sunnis, chiefly of the Manana'ah tribe, engaged in
.1
pearl-dealing or diving and sea-fishing. About 60 boats ; no
cultivation.
I
The principal towns are the following :—
l. Muharraq, the residence of the Sheikh for eight months in the
year, lies on the W. side of Muharraq Island, on the strait dividing
it from Bahrein, and about 2 miles from Manamah. The fort of
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■Abu Mahur, which has now no military value, stands on a small
island S00 yards S. of the town, near the celebrated submarine
spring of the same name which supplies the town with most of its
drinking-water. At high water Muharraq is surrounded by the sea
on the E., S., and W. sides, a great sanitary advantage, as the sea
daily removes the rubbish shot within its reach. The population is
estimated at about 20,000, half of whom are Hmcala.li. There are
about 3,000 ;Utub, 2,000 A1 Bin ‘Ali Arabs, nearly 1,000 Ziya’inah,
1,000 Bahdrinah, and 2,500 negroes, free or slaves, with smaller
numbers of other tribes and aggregations. Of this population all
but the Bahdrinah and a few Persians are Sunnis. The people are
general merchants, shopkeepers, pearl-merchants, pearl-divers,
sailors, boatmen, fishermen, small traders and craftsmen, the pearl-
divers forming a much larger proportion of the community than at
Manamah. The place possesses about 700 vessels, nearly one-half
of which are used as pearl-boats. More than 200 donkeys, 150 head
of cattle, and 80 horses are owned in the town.
Muharraq has fifteen quarters, mostly named after the tribes
inhabiting them ; there is a bazaar of 300 shops, but the town has
no date-palms. During the hot weather the greater part of the
population migrates across the strait and encamps in the NE. part
of Bahrein Island. As the principal residence of the Sheikh,
Muharraq is the political, as Manamah is the commercial, capital of
the principality. It is drier and brighter of aspect than the latter ,
city-, and architecturally more impressive when viewed from the sea.
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